Sri Lankan business leaders join global CEOs and govt. representatives at UN Private Sector Forum

Mobilise capital for sustainable growth

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SRI Lankan business leaders joined more than 50 global CEOs, government representatives, and United Nations leaders at the 2025 UN Global Compact Private Sector Forum (PSF) in New York, convened on 22 September, during the UN General Assembly.

The highlevel roundtable focused on mobilising private sector investment to close the global financing gap for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and accelerate inclusive, sustainable growth.

Representing Sri Lanka at this year's Forum were:

Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company PLC CEO/Chairman and UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka Chairman Dilhan C. Fernando.

·Dialog Axiata PLC Executive Director/Group Chief Executive and UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka Board Member Supun Weerasinghe.

UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka Executive Director Rathika de Silva.

Together, they joined a distinguished group of leaders with a combined market capitalisation of more than $ 2 trillion, reflecting Sri Lanka's growing visibility within global sustainability dialogues.

A critical global gathering

Opening the Forum, UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the urgency of accelerating progress on the 2030 Agenda, drawing attention to the global SDG financing gap, which now exceeds $ 4 trillion annually. He emphasised the need for both governments and the private sector to redirect capital toward priority areas and to strengthen delivery on existing commitments.